The Danny Granger question is one that will hang over the Indiana Pacers to start the season.

Indiana was within one game of the NBA Finals last season with Granger in street clothes (he played just five games all season after a knee injury, his second in two years). Granger was an All-Star and the team’s leading scorer, but now everyone wants to see if he can blend his game in with the emerging leaders Paul George and Roy Hibbert.

Dime: Are you restricted at all in the stuff you can do, or are you full-on right now?

DG: I’m still in the middle of my rehab. I’m in a six month rehab; I won’t be six months out until October 5th…so I’m progressing to playing — I’m playing now, but I’m progressing on schedule and I’m still in the midst of my rehab.

Dime: Do you think that October 5th date is within reach, and you’ll be able to play in the preseason to get back into the flow?

DG: Yeah. I anticipate playing in the preseason. I definitely do.

The return of Granger is one of the things that will make the Pacers better. I lean that he is going to be able to blend his game in with the other stars — he will score less per game than he used to, but he does give them a shot creator when the shot clock gets down to :05. He can start and Lance Stephenson — who was fantastic for Indiana last year — can come off the improved Pacers bench, or Granger can be a scoring spark sixth man. Either way works.

If the fit isn’t there? Granger is a $14 million expiring contract the Pacers can move for something that does fit. They don’t need him to be a dangerous playoff team.

Good news for the Pacers… however he should have had surgery immediately instead of putting it off all last season. I know hindsight is 20/20 and they were hoping for a playoff return but had he and the Pacers bit the bullet he would have already been well past his 6 month deadline AND he would have played enough on the knee in Summer leagues that he would have been confident with it. Hopefully once he does come back he isn’t timid and just plays full out and hopefully all his knee issues are behind him.